Investigating the Wreck of the Kad'yak:
Alaska's First Underwater Archaeology Project

Dave McMahan shoots video while Tane Casserley photographs an anchor.

In August 2003, the remains of the Russian-American Company bark Kad'yak were discovered off the coast of Kodiak Island, Alaska. This is the oldest vessel discovered to date in Alaskan waters. A multi-disciplinary team was formed to study the Kad'yak's remains. Participants included people from the Kodiak Maritime Museum, the Baranov Museum, the Alutiiq Museum, the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service in Kodiak, and East Carolina University.

In February 2004, the group received a grant from NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration to investigate and document the wreck site. The fieldwork, scheduled to take place during the summer of 2004, is likely to be the first stage of repeated work on the site. Primary goals for the first season are mapping and documenting the anatomy of the site, and to develop management strategies, including comprehensive interpretation of the site for the general public. For more information about various aspects of this project and about underwater archaeology in general, follow the links below.

Panorama of Icon Bay


The buoy marks the main anchor of the Kad'yak. Photo by Tane Casserley